By Malcolm Nugent - CUOSC

Frustration is coming with a big capital F for Carlisle United fans this season.

We all want to see change at the top of the club. Even if we were top of the league that would still be the case.

But with the Blues struggling at the wrong end of the table things are even harder to take.

CUOSC has been striving to bring about such a change for years. We thought we were getting close while we were negotiating with Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

But when it became obvious they were not the right fit the plug was pulled. Most fans agreed with the decision.

We have to be grateful to EWM, who loaned the club £2.4million over the years and saved the club from possible administration.

But that debt has since been novated to Purepay, who will need to be repaid. CUOSC believes until a repayment plan is negotiated it will be difficult to move forward.

Purepay have agreed to talk to the club about this and we are hoping to see some progress.

New supporters’ group Unita Fortior have so far refused to engage and talk with us even though they say their only aim is to promote CUOSC.

However, they have said some of their working group will attend our pre-match supporters’ surgery before Saturday’s home game with Swindon (1.30-2.30pm in the Brunton Park study centre) so, hopefully, we can still cooperate to make CUOSC stronger.

Our membership currently stands at 522 with an influx of 120 new members since Unita Fortior launched. To try to complement the UF initiative CUOSC are looking to develop a targeted Facebook campaign to encourage as many supporters as possible to sign up.

CUOSC will be holding a members’ meeting in Foxy’s restaurant at Brunton Park next Thursday, February 24 (6 for 6.30pm). If you cannot make it, you should be able to attend via Zoom. We hope as many members as possible – both new and old – will be there.

On the pitch there were a few encouraging signs as the Blues ended a four-game losing streak with a hard-earned 2-2 draw at Colchester.

The 242 Blues fans in the crowd were rewarded with two special goals from Omari Patrick and new signing Tobi-Sho-Silva.

We are missing injured Rod McDonald’s experience at the back but young centre-backs Morgan Feeney (23) and Dynel Simeu (19) are sticking to their tasks and looking stronger game by game.

It was great to witness Simeu’s passion as he geed up our fans while celebrating the Blues' opener. The good news is the Blues youngsters look up for the fight.

To find out more about CUOSC go to www.cuosc.org.uk

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Unita Fortior last night responded to comments in CUOSC's above News & Star column.

Posting on Twitter, they said:

Hi @officialcufc fans,

Disappointed to read the latest @CUOSC column in the @newsandstar claim UF ‘refuse to engage’?

An invitation to our informal meet, followed by us agreeing to come to the surgery is anything but!

We simply didn’t want a ‘private’ meeting!

UNITA FORTIOR